How hoplites carried their spears

[Paullus Scipio]

The point is more to set limits to the hand size of the ancients. If swords were commonly 1.7 cm this would be telling.

....I doubt it...as has been said, swords are held in a completely different way to spears...what might interest you though is that Robert Wimmers has posted some Roman spear sizes on the 'spear and pilum' thread, giving the Hasta/long thrusting spear a 22.5 mm diameter, the lancea/longche/ short dual purpose spear 18 mm and javelins 16 mm diameter.......

or better yet slip your little Laconian sword into the side into his neck just above his collar- or into the exposed armpit of the guy on your right.

...I read somewhere once that a popular laconian tactic/move was to bang shields with an opponent, trying to unbalance him, but also pushing his shield back against his chest, and then slipping that nasty, and handily short Laconian sword under the two shields, unseen by the opponent, and into his groin, with a view to severing the femoral artery...... hock: hock: Effective !!